The unique nature of the Teacher Education Program at Virginia Wesleyan University provides students multiple opportunities to apply what they learn in coursework by serving the community. In partnership with Virginia Beach Public Schools, the VWU students in the picture above just finished leading several hands-on learning stations for over 100 fourth graders and parents as a part of the Downstream Collaborative Project.
Specific VWU Teacher Education Programs Leading to Virginia Teaching Certification
The VWU Teacher Education Program houses CAEP-Accredited undergraduate and graduate-level initial teacher licensure programs leading to endorsements in fifteen different areas and one graduate-level program for licensed teachers. The list below delineates each of the fifteen available endorsement areas for initial licensure. The undergraduate programs consist of three different education majors, Elementary Education (preK-6), Special Education (K-12), Education Studies (non-licensure track). To complete any of these majors, students must apply, complete preadmission requirements, and be accepted into the major by the end of their sophomore year. Students completing the graduate program that leads to initial licensure will apply to the VWU Master of Arts in Education program as early as their sophomore year.
Undergraduate Education Program (more information)
- Elementary Education (PreK-6) CAEP Accreditated
- Special Education: General Curriculum (K-12) CAEP Accreditated
- Education Studies (Non-licensure)
Graduate Education Program (MAEd) (more information)
Secondary Endorsement Areas (6-12)
CAEP Accreditated
PreK-12 Endorsement Areas
CAEP Accreditated
All Virginia Wesleyan University Education Programs that lead to initial teaching licensure are approved by the Virginia Department of Education and accredited by the Council for the Accreditation Educator Preparation (CAEP). The programs marked with an asterisk below lead to initial licensure for Virginia teachers.
Measure 1 (Initial): Completer effectiveness.
Completer impact in contributing to student-learning growth:
Data from VWU 22-23 completers’ final semester at VWU suggest that completers of our programs are effective in meeting the needs of learners. For all initial licensure programs, each student must complete an intensive impact study during their final internship. All completers found that they made a positive impact on student learning, including subgroups, and used data to inform their instruction. All completers met all requirements for their impact study.
VWU partners with the Virginia Education Assessment Collaborative to survey employers about their perceptions of how ready our completers’ are to impact student learning 1-3 years after graduation. On average, employers rated our completer’ between 4 = Mostly Ready and 5 = Fully Ready, on a 5-point Likert-type scale.
Completer effectiveness in applying professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions:
InTASC Standards 9 and 10 relate to professional knowledge and skills required of teachers. VWU measures candidates’ performance on professional knowledge and skills over three Program Gateways. During their final Gateway, 22-23 completer data on standards 9 and 10 averaged between 3=Meets expectations and 4=Exceeds Expectations on a 4-point scale. The overall average of performance was 3.67. No completer averaged under a 3 on any InTASC standard.
Dispositions are measured through the VWU Teacher Education Disposition Assessment. 22-23 completers’ 10 averaged between 3=Meets expectations and 4=Exceeds Expectations on a 4-point scale. The overall average of performance was 3.48.
Measure 2: Satisfaction of employers and stakeholder involvement.
Employers of VWU completers reported a high level of readiness to meet the needs of the school’s students at 4.33, slightly above the EPP Mean of 4.14 (VEAC N = 1,208), indicating that VWU graduates were better than “Mostly ready (able to successfully meet the needs of most students),” which would be a rating of 4.00.
Employers of VWU completers reported a somewhat better than proficient rating of 3.28 for using developmentally appropriate technology to enhance student learning. This value is (exactly) consistent with completers’ ratings of their satisfaction with preparation. This is very slightly less than the EPP rating of 3.38 (N = 1,315).
On items regarding student diversity employers rating VWU completers 3.33 (EPP = 3.38) on “demonstrates a commitment to equity” and 3.34 (EPP = 3.23) on collaborating “with the learning community to meet the needs of all learners.” These ratings indicate a higher than proficient commitment to equitable practices and ability to meet all students’ needs.
Measure 3: Candidate competency at completion.
All 17 22-23 completers successfully met all licensure requirements for the state of Virginia. Completers successfully passed licensure tests, met expectations on Gateway 3 performance assessments, and successfully completed an intensive internship at an accredited school.
Measure 4: Ability of completers to be hired (in positions for which they have prepared).
At least 83% of 22-23 completers were employed as teachers within their endorsement area during the 23-24 academic school year. We were not able to collect this data on those who moved out of the area, so the other 17% of completer data is unknown.
About the Teacher Education Program
Fully accredited by the Virginia Board of Education, the Teacher Education Program at Virginia Wesleyan University is known for preparing enthusiastic, well-prepared, and effective classroom teachers. The Education faculty embrace and advocate a perspective that values lifelong learning and continuous improvement of the individual that is best captured by six words:
WE learn. WE do. WE serve.
We Learn:
Academic knowledge and skills are gained through VWU’s integrative General Education coursework and content majors that assist teacher candidates in understanding themselves and the world around them, and that allow them to gain a more integrated view of knowledge and skills. Professional and pedagogical knowledge and skills evolve in our programs through a carefully planned course of study that includes pre-admission, professional studies courses, and early site-based experiences. These experiences provide the knowledge needed for teaching candidates to begin developing, implementing, and assessing innovative curriculum in diverse contexts.
We Do:
Diverse on and off-site field experiences help candidates apply theory and knowledge learned in coursework to professional practice. Early field experiences begin in the pre-admission courses, continue throughout the program, and lead to formal practicum experiences and student teaching. Providing early, frequent, and essential field experiences in diverse contexts exposes VWU candidates to the increasing diversity of the region’s schools and the students who attend them. These experiences coupled with instruction provided in class, allow our teaching candidates the time and guidance necessary to employ the culturally responsive teaching strategies and evidence-based practices crucial for success in today’s schools.
We Serve:
The Wesleyan heritage promotes a commitment to servant leadership within the University’s faculty, staff, and students. Through an extensive network of partnerships, VWU teacher candidates have multiple opportunities to take part in service-learning experiences within and outside of their coursework. The Downstream Collaborative Project, the Environmental Explorers Program, and Marlins Read are some of the many opportunities in which VWU teaching candidates work together to make a positive difference in their communities. After completion of the program, VWU teacher candidates are ready to serve their community as professional educators.
For more information regarding the conceptual framework, mission, and philosophy of the VWU teacher education program please see the VWU Undergraduate Handbook or VWU Master of Arts in Education Handbook.
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